Christmas Eve

Hey, have a great Christmas Eve y'all! And, remember, don't let the rats eat a hole through your shoe.

The Pond

Greensprings

Linking on this Friday the 13th (!) to Skywatch Friday.

Benz

Just a curiosity. I happen to know someone who was born and raised in Southampton, New York, a once sleepy little fishing village on the far eastern end of Long Island that has since become a haven for--well, people who have the money to purchase, among other things, late model Mercedes Benz vehicles.

The Swamp

As I recall, it was DJT who promised to "drain the swamp" some eight years ago when he ran for president the first time. Now, as the Washington Post put it this past October, "he swims in it." According to the article, the Duck said, “I had no idea the swamp was that dirty, that disgusting and that deep.” 

Well, Donald, now you know. 

Calm

Greensprings Interpretive Trail

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday

Greensprings

Greensprings

Quarry Pond

 

Belle Isle, Richmond, Virginia

Ornament

 

S-l-o-w-l-y adding ornaments to this year's tree.

Peace

 

Construction Zone

 

The Greensprings architects (aka beavers) have been re-imagining the swamp. You can see their most recent handiwork in the dam to the left. Their HQ, if you will, is in the background to the right. 

They've been at this job all winter, chopping down trees, hauling them to the construction site, putting them in place, all with the seeming blessings of our local authorities who evicted them from their original work site after their endeavors apparently threatened the integrity of a popular foot bridge. 

Swamp Trees

Did you know that there are different types of swamps? It stands to reason, I guess, although, until now, I've never really given it any thought. But apparently it's true. According to one source I consulted, for instance, these bodies of water are usually named after their most dominant types of trees. I'm on a mission now to figure out what the dominant type of trees grow here in this swamp known locally as Greensprings.

Made in America

 

Did you watch last night's State of the Union Address? I confess that I didn't; it aired too late for me. I did, though, see a clip this morning of Biden's speech in which he emphasized the importance of using American made products to rebuild and to improve this country's infrastructure. 

I have no problem with that. Seems like something we've been trying to do since even colonial days when most of our products were still being imported from places like the home country (England) and/or from elsewhere. Even then, it would seem, we were in the midst of a global economy with all its attendant advantages and disadvantages.

Back then, though, the best we could do was to produce things like tobacco. Manufacturing was still a distant dream. Most of that stuff came from back "home." And I understand you had to wait a pretty long time for things to arrive. No Amazon Prime or FedEx back then. Shoot! I'm guessing half the stuff you ordered never arrived; it just sank offshore somewhere in a storm. 

Nope! I'm all for re-invigorating our domestic economy. Just don't throw out the tea. Please! Don't throw out the tea. I enjoy it too much. :-)

Shop Window

 

Main Street shop window in Charlottesville, Virginia

Patterns

St. Martin's Cathedral

Mainz, Germany

Hotel Room

Bingen-am-Rhein

Brownstone

 

Berlin, Germany

Sony Center

 

Sony Center, Berlin